What I Got For Christmas: Beauty Edition

I'm hoping to get my blogging mojo back in 2014 and start posting regularly again but to ease myself back into it I thought I'd write about some of the beauty bits I got for Christmas.

I wasn't sure what I wanted this year and since I didn't ask for any 'big' presents I wrote my mum a list of some beauty bits that I'd had my eye on for a while. My Mum and Dad ended up getting me a new Armani Luminous Silk foundation as I'd ran out and it's my favourite foundation for going out at night and special occasions. Dior is my favourite high end brand for mascaras, especially the original Diorshow so I wanted to try the Iconic Overcurl as I'd heard good things about it and so far I'm loving it. I also got the Emma Hardie Amazing Face Cleansing Balm which I've wanted for ages but couldn't justify spending that much on a cleanser. The present I was most excited about was the Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate palette, I've always wanted some Tom Ford makeup and thought this would be the perfect addition as I love to contour - watch out for a full review on this ASAP!

From my sister I got some new MAC eyeshadows to add to my palette: Nylon, All That Glitters, Mulch and Carbon and I already had Naked Lunch, Woodwinked and Satin Taupe. I can't wait to fill up this palette with other gorgeous neutral MAC eye shadows, any recommendations?! My friends Samantha and Emma got me some Barry M and Topshop bits. Barry M Gelly's are the best drugstore nail polish and Topshop cream blushers are my favourite - they know me too well!!

Every time I go into House of Fraser I go to the Jo Malone counter and smell all the perfumes so Christmas was the perfect time to ask for one. I finally decided on Nectarine Blossom and Honey which smells amazing, but there are so many amazing scents I can't wait to add more to my collection. I also got the Enrapture Totem Styler which I know a lot of you have. I used it today for the first time and was really impressed and as I hardly ever wear my hair straight, these have definitely replaced my GHD's (which are broken anyway).

As well as beauty bits I also got some new clothes, converse and the usual things like pyjamas and money. Oh, I also treated myself to the Michael Kors Mini Selma bag which I'll do a post on soon. I was well and truly spoiled again this Christmas. If you've done a 'What I Got For Christmas' post please leave the link below as I love reading them!

Lauren's Way Darker Than Dark Tanning Range

Due to starting a new job with crazy long hours on top of busy weekends I haven't been able to find time to blog over the past month. However, I'm finally back with a post about one of  my favourite products to blog about: fake tan.

Lauren's Way tan* by Lauren Goodger is a tan I've used for a couple of years, I started off using the Glam Tan which you can see me wearing here (a long time ago) but after trying a sample of the Darker Than Dark tan I got in a goody bag it soon replaced Glam Tan as my favourite. After I used up the samples I never got round to buying a full size bottle so when I was offered to review the range I jumped at the chance.

Lauren's Way tan is blended with cocoa, rose petal, jasmine and passion flower and the hint of citrus gives it a sort of orange scent which I really like. It comes in both a mousse and a lotion so you can choose which formula you prefer, personally I prefer mousse as I think it's easier and faster to apply. Before I apply my tan I like to go for a shower and exfoliate using exfoliating gloves and a body scrub to make sure most of my old tan has came off and also to buff away any dry skin. I then moisturise paying particular attention to my elbows and knees then I apply the tan to both my face and body using a tanning mitt. I always use a mitt to apply my tan as I think it helps make it nice and even and also I'm not left with orange palms.

As you can probably tell by the name, the Darker Than Dark tan is the darkest in the range and is a great option if you have an olive skin tone and prefer an intense colour. Also, make sure you're an experienced tanner as it's very dark! I've used fake tan since I was about 13 (yes, really) and apply it 3 times a week so this is perfect for me. I usually only use the Darker Than Dark tan for the weekend and a slightly lighter one for during the week.You can also get medium and dark shades if you prefer a more natural colour or don't wear fake tan often.

If you want to see photos of my wearing Darker Then Dark tan I'm wearing it here and here. I love this particular shade as I only need to apply it once and I'm ready to go! I usually put it on at night then wash off the guide colour in the morning which isn't very good for my white bed sheets but the guide colour is a bit too dark to wear out of the house! You can wash it off within 4-8 hours so if you're having a day in the house then you could also put it on then.

The 150ml of mousse costs £19.95* and the 250ml of lotion costs £17.95* and you can buy them online here. I usually spend an average of £20 on fake tan so this is the perfect price for me. Overall, this is still one of my favourite fake tans and if like me you love a deep, dark tan then I really recommend it.